


Right Behind You

by FestiveFerret



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adult Language, Bucky's Asshole Ex, Bucky's Asshole Ex Being An Asshole, Get Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Post Break-up, Protective Tony, references to unhealthy relationships, some rude language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:48:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28331889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret
Summary: This was one of the more humiliating things Bucky'd ever had to do, and the last person he wanted to do it with was Steve's roommate. Steve's roommate who also happened to be the guy Bucky had been crushing on for nearly seven years. But Tony had his determined face on, and didn't seem to be taking no for an answer. If Bucky was entirely honest with himself, facing this with Tony - as awful as that would be - was still better than facing it alone.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, past - Bucky/Other
Comments: 20
Kudos: 610
Collections: StarkBucksBingo2020





	Right Behind You

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to ashy for beta!
> 
> For Starkbucks Bingo  
> Square: G5 - "Oh hell no"

"Oh,  _ hell, _ no."

"Tony…" Bucky tried to grab for the jacket sleeve Tony was sliding his arm into, but Tony dodged out of his way.

"There's no fucking way, Bucky. If I'd known this was what you were doing with Steve today, I'd have insisted I was coming even before he got all gross and sneezy." Tony finally managed to wrestle himself into his jacket. "Not that a little biological warfare wouldn't be appropriate right about now…" Tony muttered to himself.

"Tony!" Bucky chastised. 

"It's just a cold. He'll be fine tomorrow." He stuffed his phone in his pocket. "Let's go."

Heat crawled up the back of Bucky's neck. This was one of the more humiliating things he'd ever had to do, and the last person he wanted to do it with was Steve's roommate. Steve's roommate who also happened to be the guy Bucky had been crushing on for nearly seven years. But Tony had his determined face on, and didn't seem to be taking no for an answer. If Bucky was entirely honest with himself, facing this with Tony - as awful as that would be - was still better than facing it alone. "Okay."

"I'll drive."

The drive to Tom's apartment - the one that used to be Bucky's too - was a tense one. Tony's jaw was set tight, and Bucky wasn't sure if it was because he was uncomfortable or because he was preparing for a fight.

Bucky wasn't expecting a fight. It was never a fight with Tom. Maybe fights would have been easier. No, instead it was the eye rolls, it was the,  _ just forget about it-s,  _ and the  _ it's fine-s. _ It was the way how, when he was pissed, Tom would set the table with everything to Bucky's left so he had to twist around to grab the salt.

But Tony didn't know about that stuff, or if he did, he'd have heard it from Steve. Steve wasn't subtle about hating Tom, so Bucky had to assume he wasn't quiet about it at home with his roommate either. He certainly wasn't quiet about it around Bucky. But the whole thing made Bucky uncomfortable in ways he struggled to put into words. He didn't want to shout about it. He didn't want to yell at Tom or break things, or call him a dick. He wanted to be good enough for him. Wanted Tom to want him instead of the skinny, tattooed ho currently draped over Tom in all his insta photos. Jaiden.

Not that Bucky checked his profile every night at 2am, or anything.

"Did he really dump you by changing his relationship status on Facebook to someone else?" Tony asked, knuckles going white on the steering wheel. 

"Yeah," Bucky admitted, unable to come up with a less humiliating lie. "Jaiden. Then, apparently, he told Jaiden that he cheated on him with me, not the other way around. My DMs were fun for a while."

"Shit, Bucky."

"It's fine."

"It  _ so _ isn't." Tony took a turn a little too aggressively.

"I was a shitty boyfriend. He was right to dump me."

"Okay, first of all," Tony started, but Bucky cut him off.

"We're here."

"What? Shit." Tony slammed on the breaks, skidding up in front of the building.

Bucky stared up at it morosely.

"I can go in for you, if you tell me what stuff's yours."

"No, it's okay. I've got this." Bucky climbed out of the car and met Tony at the front steps. He grabbed Tony's sleeve. "Don't hit him. Okay?"

"No promises," Tony growled.

"No, seriously, Tony. I don't want to deal with a fight."

Tony pouted for a moment. "Okay, fine. If he swings first though..." he grumbled.

Bucky shook his head and pushed between Tony and the door. He led the way up to the apartment and knocked before digging his key ring out of his pocket. There was no answer, and he entertained the glorious thought for a moment that Tom and Jaiden might not be there. Maybe Tom had considered Bucky's feelings and decided not to flaunt his new relationship in front of him. He jiggled the key in the lock as loudly as he could and pushed the door open.

Jaiden was standing in the kitchen in nothing but a towel. He scowled at Bucky. "You have a key?"

"I'm here to give it back. And get my stuff." Bucky unclipped the keys and tossed them on the counter as if to prove it.

Tom appeared out of the bedroom, his hair wet, sweatpants slung low around his hips. The room smelled like sex. "Shit. I wasn't expecting you this early, Buck." 

"We said ten. It's ten-thirty."

Tom pulled a shirt over his head. "Jay, why don't you have a smoke, hmm?"

"Whatever." Jaiden grabbed something from the drawer that used to hold Bucky's wallet and keys. He stopped to kiss Tom on his way by, then stepped out on the balcony. 

Tony put a hand on Bucky's lower back. "Where's your stuff?"

"Uh. Tom where'd you put my boxes?"

Tom tipped his head towards the doorway. "Bedroom."

Bucky squeezed past him, through the doorway. There was a little pile on the floor under the window, a few bags, some boxes, and everything else piled on top. Bucky's whole life reduced to a sad little pile, shoved in a corner to make space for someone new. He bent over the stack and started shifting through it, realizing with a sinking heart that Tom had used boxes without handles which made it hard for him to carry much. He wished he could think it hadn't been on purpose, but the number of times he'd reminded him about it made it hard to believe.

Someone appeared at Bucky's side, and he flinched away, thinking it was Tom, but it was Tony. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah, just… uh…" Bucky cast around the room for an excuse and noticed his alarm clock still sitting on Tom's bedside table. "My clock." He bent to unplug it.

"Yeah, no, that's my clock?" Tom said from the doorway. "It was a gift from Lisa? Like five years ago."

"I bought it when I moved in here." Bucky shot Tom a look, but he just shrugged and smiled, pouting out his bottom lip a little. "Fine, whatever."

"Don't worry, baby," Tony said loudly. "I'll buy you a new clock. Let Tom have the old one. I was eyeing one of those voice controlled ones with the sun lamp in them for your side of the bed, anyway."

Bucky went very still. What was Tony playing at?

Tom made a strange noise from the other side of the room. "Sorry, you two are  _ dating?"  _

Tony wrapped his arm around Bucky's waist from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder. His left shoulder. Tom never would have done that. "I've been biding my time," he said. "So thanks for putting him back on the market, I guess." The fluttering eyelashes were audible in Tony's voice even though Bucky couldn't see his face. He worked hard to school his own.

Tom looked Tony up and down, no doubt taking in the designer jeans and pricey shoes, the brand name splashed across the sunglasses perched in Tony's perfectly styled hair. Tony lived lightly, sharing with Steve, so he could spend his money on other things. He was brilliant, working on two degrees at once while teaching classes in three others. He made decent money and he liked to spend it on how he looked, what he wore, and what he ate. Tom didn't have to know that Tony slept on a futon in a one bedroom-plus-den walkup to make that happen. "So what, you've got yourself a sugar daddy?" Tom snapped back, and Bucky balled his hand into a fist.

But Tony just leaned into his side and laughed. "Actually, I'm the one who likes to call him daddy. Hard not to." Tony circled Bucky and dropped his eyes suggestively. "Don't you think?"

"Uh…" Tom was starting to look flustered.

"Anyway. We'd better get out of your hair. We have reservations." He winked. Tony bent and hauled one of the boxes up on the bed, deftly splitting a few things into bags. He helped Bucky load up his arm, slinging a bag over his shoulder, then took the rest of his stuff. 

"Thanks, Tim!"

Tom huffed. "You'd think you'd get it right, after hearing him call it out in bed so much. Dick."

Tony stopped in the bedroom doorway, eyes snapping from playful to flashing with anger in a heartbeat. "Guess you didn't make that much of an impression, after all." He stepped closer, and Bucky started to panic. He was too loaded up with stuff to stop Tony if he took a swing at him, but he really didn't want to deal with a fight. Except Tony didn't touch him, he just leaned in close. "He's worth a hundred of you, always has been, and you were lucky as fuck to have him while you did. And just so you're fully aware, when that stoner twink of yours with the My Little Pony tattoo finally gets bored or so high he can't remember your apartment number and wanders off, if you so much as breathe in Bucky's direction with an idea that there would be any chance you could have him back in a million years, I'll find you and I'll cut your sorry excuse for a dick off. "

"Tony!" Bucky kicked him in the back of his ankle.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Let's go." He marched out, and Bucky hustled after him, not even sparing Tom another glance.

Tony popped the trunk of the car and set Bucky's stuff down, then helped unload Bucky with the rest and added it. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself." He looked delighted instead of sorry.

Bucky shook his head, smiling. "It's fine. It was good."

Tony stepped up onto the curb until they were standing chest to chest and took the collar of Bucky's coat between his fingers. He leaned in, gaze dancing down to Bucky's mouth, and Bucky felt his eyes go wide. "Their balcony is on the other side of the building," he breathed, not pulling back. "They can't see. You don't have to pretend."

"I know," Tony said softly. He pressed his lips gently to Bucky's, but he pulled back before Bucky's eyes even had a chance to flutter closed. "I meant what I said in there, you know. Steve's told me about some of the shit he's pulled. You're worth better, Buck. I've always thought so."

"Always? You've been thinking about me that long?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I really have." Tony smoothed down the front of Bucky's coat, looking reluctant to stop touching him. 

Bucky caught Tony's hand in his before it could pull away. "Don't want you to be nothing but a rebound."

Tony scoffed. "That idiot wasn't worth a rebound. Be my something serious instead."

Bucky's heart stopped. "Really?"

"Yeah. I saw a cute little toothbrush cup in your box. You could leave it at my place."

Bucky grinned. "Pretty sure I already have a toothbrush at your place. Steve is always -"

Tony smacked him gently. "It's the principle of the matter, you ass."

"Okay." Bucky couldn't have stopped smiling if he tried. Thoughts of Tom completely evaporated. Here was Tony, in front of him, and he wanted Bucky. He  _ wanted  _ him. "I'm sure there's something in here I can keep in your bedside drawer."

"Fantastic." Tony kissed him again, still soft, still chaste, still quick, but Bucky leaned into it this time, heart pounding. "Also I owe you an alarm clock."

"Fuck yeah, you do. I liked that one."

Tony burst out laughing. "Okay, hot stuff. I'm thinking burgers, then the alarm clock store, then we'll take this stuff back to your place, yeah?"

"Yeah. Sounds good." Bucky climbed into the car and turned to beam over the console at Tony. "Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Leave a toothbrush at my place too?"

Tony brightened like there was a sun shining inside him. "Just try and stop me."


End file.
